Football (Soccer) is Life!
Written by Nicolas Polo (PE Teacher)
Association Football (commonly known as ‘soccer’ or ‘football’, depending on which country one is from) is the most popular sport in the world for a reason; the best way to find out why is through the Aaron School’s After School Soccer Program! After over a year of not being able to participate in team sports, we have been able to reopen our magnificent soccer club.
The program focuses on teaching soccer fundamentals in a fun, non-competitive and educational environment. The focus of the program is to develop the different skills of the sport (passing, dribbling etc.) and to improve the motor skills and overall physical fitness of our students. Importantly, we want our young athletes to feel empowered by developing their soccer skills in a positive and fun environment. The program is designed to boost individual confidence and self-esteem and to help students develop their teamwork and social skills.
Thus far, we have been focusing on fundamental offensive skills like passing and receiving the ball, dribbling and short-range shooting. All drills that have taken place in training are interactive and involve using the ball throughout different games. These games help students build their cardiovascular and muscular endurance, which (for most of us) has deteriorated over the last two years due to physical inactivity.
In just two months, our players have shown tremendous improvement in their ball handling and foot coordination! Most of our games have been played under predictable situations (e.g. passing and shooting on cue). The reason for this is that we want our players to focus on becoming familiar with the ball and to improve their foot-eye coordination. In January, we will begin practicing in more varied and unpredictable situations in which players must make decisions depending on what is happening around them. They will also learn how to incorporate other, more sophisticated soccer moves and defensive skills. In short, we are looking forward to seeing our young athletes having fun as they apply the skills that they’ve learned in a dynamic and interactive environment!
Our soccer players are having a great time every Tuesday. We are seeing that having an active and team-focused after-school activity has really enriched the wellbeing of our students. As Dani Rojas says in Ted Lasso…“Football is Life!”
